Leicester line up surprise £12m bid for Middlesbrough ace

Reigning Premier League champions Leicester have told Middlesbrough they want to sign star creator Gaston Ramirez and are prepared to pay £12m to sign the former Southampton flop, reports The Daily Mail.

Ramirez, 26, has arguably been Middlesbrough’s best player this season but Aitor Karanka’s side will demand more than £12m for relegation rivals Leicester to land his signature this month.

The Uruguay international is understood to have a £15m release clause in his current deal with Boro but the Riverside outfit may be able to demand more than that due to the exact terms in his release clause.

Ramirez joined the then-Championship outfit on a free transfer last summer after failing to make any impact at Southampton following a then-club record £12m move from Bologna in 2012.

Not only are Middlesbrough holding out for more than Leicester are currently willing to pay, but they are also waiting to see whether they can sign Bojan from Stoke before entering serious talks with the Foxes.

Likewise, Leicester could step up their interest in Ramirez with Leonardo Ulloa set to leave the King Power Stadium this month after handing in a transfer request.

Ramirez has created at least six more chances than any other Middlesbrough player (24), while only one teammate has completed more dribbles than the Uruguayan (33).

For more stats on Gaston Ramirez, click here to visit his WhoScored player page